E4: Healing Lifelong PTSD & Reclaiming Life Through Powerlifting - Lanie Bishop

12/15/22 • 116 min

Lanie Bishop is an 84+ kg open powerlifter from Alberta, Canada. You may also know her as a national level CPU referee, pole dancer and Twitch streamer. Lanie is vocal about her mental health on social media, but in this episode, she goes even deeper and tells us the untold story of her PTSD and an abusive relationship that came to a head at IPF Worlds in 2018. Growing up in conservative, rural Alberta as a mixed-race and LGBTQ+ person, Lanie endured many challenges including two cases of sexual assault that sparked an 18-year long war in her mind until she finally sought the help she needed. We discuss what PTSD is really like and just how destructive it is on one’s livelihood if left untreated. 2018 was the year Lanie calls “traumafest” and you will come to fully understand why when you listen to her story. For Lanie, powerlifting helped her reclaim her life through the immensely positive mental health benefits and the incredibly supportive powerlifting community during and after the events of “traumafest.”

Topics:

Growing up in conservative, rural Alberta
- Challenges from growing up - racism, othering, discrimination
- Sexual assaults at four years old
- What is PTSD?
- What is it like having PTSD?
- How destructive PTSD can be left untreated
- Fear of getting a diagnosis
- Coping with untreated PTSD
- Treatment approach for PTSD
- Abusive relationship during PTSD treatment resulting in third case of PTSD
- Using powerlifting as an escape
- How powerlifting helps with PTSD symptoms
- Toxic mentality around powerlifting imposed by abusive ex
- “Traumafest” in 2018: abuse ramping up and coming to a head during and at CPU Nationals and IPF Worlds in Alberta and continued abuse after IPF Worlds
- Incredibly supportive powerlifting community helping Lanie get back on her feet
- Lanie worried she wouldn’t be able to come back to powerlifting
- Overcoming “traumafest” through powerlifting and community support
- Closing questions

Lanie Bishop:
IG: @mintowls

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Topics:

Lanie Bishop:
IG: @mintowls

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Previous Episode

E3: Re-Building A Sense of Self-Worth After Trauma And Domestic Abuse - Natasha Ching

Natasha Ching is an 84+ kg open powerlifter from Nova Scotia, Canada. Local lifters would know her as the former NSPL president while others may know her as a national level CPU referee. In this episode, Natasha opens up about her experience with being identified as a high anxiety gifted child at 8 years old, her trauma stemming from the passing of two of her mother figures at nine years old, and her experience of being in an emotionally and financially abusive relationship in her 20s. Then we go in depth about Natasha re-built her sense of self and self-worth through lifting weights after a lifetime of having it depend on either being gifted or being with a toxic partner. We also talk about how she developed and fixed her unhealthy relationship with powerlifting. As a long-time veteran in the sport, Natasha gives advice on how to achieve longevity in powerlifting and how to get started if you’re new to it.

Topics:
- How being president of the NSPL during the pandemic affected Natasha’s mental health
- Sky rocketing anxiety during the pandemic
- Being identified as a high anxiety gifted child
- Developing anxiety around pressure to be exceptional at everything
- Trauma of passings of mother and aunt
- Developing dissociative disorder
- Wanting to start fresh at university
- Emotionally and financially abusive relationship
- Realised she had to leave when she started exhibiting physical symptoms
- Message from Natasha to anyone who is wanting to get out of an abusive relationship
- Drawn to lifting weights after leaving abusive relationship
- Over-reliance on powerlifting
- Powerlifting is not therapy!
- Self-worth is not dependent on your performance
- Three types of self-confidence
- Strong vs weak competitive drive - everyone needs to hear this
- The biggest thing Natasha learned through powerlifting: how to “enact calm”
- Number one advice if you want to start powerlifting
- Achieving longevity in powerlifting - check your ego and recovering from injuries
- Closing questions

Natasha Ching:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/natty_ching/

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Next Episode

E5: The Power of Taking Back The Narrative: PCOS & Bullying - Brittany Schlater

Brittany Schlater is an 84+ kg open powerlifter from Ontario, Canada. You may also know her as a 3x Canadian champion and 2021 IPF Worlds Gold Medalist. You may have heard of the infamous Reddit thread that was dedicated to bullying her over her appearance - due to the physical symptoms of her polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) - and questioned her drug-tested status because of her extraordinary strength. The ongoing abuse nearly made her take her own life, and when brought to light, shook the powerlifting community. In this episode, Brittany takes back the narrative and shares her story which teaches us that you never know what someone has and is going through and that bullying is never okay.

Topics:

Passing of baby sister and divorce of parents
Feelings of guilt, depression, and self-harming/suicidal ideation beginning at 6 years old
Raising herself in the new family dynamic
Feelings of guilt and deserving of punishment permeating throughout Brittany’s life
Stressful teenage years as an LGBTQ+ youth
Dealing with dysfunctional thought patterns
Starting powerlifting but using it as a “socially acceptable” version of self-harming
Catalytic mental health crisis at the gym and medical emergency
Developing a healthier relationship with powerlifting
How powerlifting helps Brittany’s mental health
Panic attack during last squat warm up at 2021 IPF Worlds
Mental health lessons learned from 2021 IPF Worlds
What is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)?
The Reddit Ordeal: how Brittany found the thread, the thread itself, and what happened immediately after (including becoming suicidal)
Moving forward from the Reddit Ordeal by taking back the narrative
Getting back into powerlifting
Closing questions

Sensory Warning: There are occasional swooshing noises from the microphone that may be jarring to some listeners.

Support No Restrictions Podcast by purchasing No Restrictions Apparel! Use code NORESTRICTIONSPOD to get 10% off your order! Or use link: https://norestrictionsapparel.com/?ref=norestrictionspod

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